Case closed on Belanger sisters’ deaths

PHUKET: Krabi Police have closed the case on the deaths of Canadian sisters Audrey and Noemi Belanger with no more investigations to be conducted.

Audrey, 20, and Noemi, 25, from Quebec, were found dead in their hotel room on Phi Phi Island on June 15. Both had suffered a violent physical reaction to suspected poisoning.

Autopsies conducted by forensic police identified that both women had ingested an undisclosed amount of the insecticide DEET, possible from a “party cocktail” known locally as “Four times 100”. The regular form the “cocktail”, however, does not contain DEET or any insecticide.

“We have been asked by the Canadian Embassy and the [Belanger] family to not reveal anything about the case. We are standing by that. The cause of death in the police report to the embassy is “Unknown”,” Lt Col Jongrak Pimthong of Krabi City Police told the Phuket Gazette today.

“We are now preparing the documents to be sent to the Canadian Embassy. I have informed them that the case is closed. All the official documents will be sent today as soon as we finished copying them,” he added.

All police investigations related to the case will cease, including any attempt to question the man last seen with the two sisters before they were found dead.

The CCTV system at the resort where the women were staying captured images of an unidentified man assisting the sisters back to their room in the early hours of June 13.

“We did not question the man since he does not live in Thailand, and the two sisters’ relatives requested that we did not question him after seeing the CCTV records,” Col Jongrak said

However, Krabi Police will continue to check the drinks being served at night entertainment venues.

“If we find anything suspicious, we will report it to Krabi Public Health Office to investigate,” Col Jongrak said.

“As I said, no further information related to the case will be released, at the request of the embassy and the family. If the embassy would like to reveal anything further, they will hold a press conference on it,” he added.

— Chutharat Plerin